Emphasizing the Switch: From Stone Structures to Natural Environments!
Hannover, a city renowned for its green spaces, is taking a step further in promoting sustainable urban development by participating in the "GroundAir" competition by Provinzial Insurance. The goal of this competition is to transform sealed areas into vibrant green living spaces, contributing to the city's mission of remaining the greenest city in Germany.
By unsealing areas, the city aims to achieve several benefits. These include reducing soil pollution, protecting the urban climate, increasing biodiversity, and strengthening flood protection. Unsealed areas allow rainwater to drain better, reducing flooding and promoting groundwater recharge. Moreover, unsealing areas promotes biodiversity by providing habitat for plants, birds, and other animals.
The competition encourages citizens to open sealed areas and convert gravel gardens. Winning the competition may result in cash prizes and vouchers for a garden center. To facilitate this, the city portal has provided prior coordination, as the city does not have larger storage areas for this purpose. In individual cases, stones or gravel can be picked up after consultation with Bernd Kruse from the city portal's Urban Planning team.
The collected stones are then processed and used in construction measures for flood protection. Citizens can dispose of these stones as uncontaminated construction waste through the Recycling Center Hellsiek at the Hellsiek Landfill or the Recycling Center Maibolte at the Composting Facility Lemgo. Information about the drop-off points, including opening hours, directions, and the waste fractions accepted, can be found on the website of the Lippe Waste Management Association at abfall-lippe.de/abgabestellen.
The action of unsealing areas is not new, as it has been successful in the Netherlands. By participating in the "GroundAir" competition, Hannover is not only promoting a more beautiful and livable environment with more green areas and open spaces but also taking a significant step towards sustainable urban development.
Citizens can support this initiative by opening sealed areas, converting gravel gardens, and uploading before-and-after photos to bodenluft.net. Together, we can make Hannover even greener and more livable.
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